Unlike the Divine Towers found in Liurnia or Caelid in Elden Ring, the Isolated Divine Tower stands apart, perched on a small island in the sea. This tower lies north of Dragonburrow and south of the Mountaintops of Giants. For many adventurers, getting to this Tower can be quite a challenge, as they must navigate through a gauntlet of powerful enemies to access the area’s Sending Gate.
To access the Isolated Divine Tower, players must use the Sending Gate located on the Divine Bridge in Leyndell, Royal Capital. Thankfully, there is a secondary route available via the Transporter Trap Chest located at the Tower of Return. Adventurers can reach this spot by heading southeast from the Isolated Merchant’s Shack in the Weeping Peninsula. This teleportation portal takes you directly to the Divine Bridge Grace Site, allowing you to bypass hostile enemies.
What Awaits at the Isolated Divine Tower?
Obtain a Permanent Character Buff
The Isolated Divine Tower offers a significant advantage by allowing players to activate a Great Rune, which grants a permanent buff to their character. Great Runes can be acquired from formidable bosses throughout Elden Ring, mainly those found within the main storyline. Unfortunately, the effects of a Great Rune wear off upon death unless you consume a special item to reactivate it.
The Great Rune available at the Isolated Divine Tower is associated with Malenia, the Demigod of Elphael plagued by Scarlet Rot and known as the Blade of Miquella. Malenia is regarded as one of the toughest adversaries in the game, not only because of her combat prowess but also due to the difficulty of reaching her. She resides in a castle within Miquella’s Haligtree, an area that requires a series of steps to access.
Miquella’s Haligtree is regarded as an endgame area, so players should aim to be between Level 120 and 150 before attempting to navigate this region. The enemies and bosses found here are among the most challenging in the game, not including those from the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.
By activating the Great Rune at the Isolated Divine Tower, your character’s combat style transitions to mimic the fast-paced aggression reminiscent of Bloodborne. Players will enjoy swifter attacks and can heal partially from any damage taken by landing successful hits, significantly reducing the need for healing items. This unique take on combat makes Malenia’s Great Rune one of the most engaging among the six total in the game.
How to Obtain Malenia’s Great Rune
Chart Your Course Through the Haligtree
To reach the Isolated Divine Tower, you must first locate Malenia by assembling the two halves of the Haligtree Secret Medallion. Once you have done that, activate the hidden mechanism at the Grand Lift of Rold to gain access to the Hidden Path leading to Haligtree and the Consecrated Snowfield.
After this, make your way north to Ordina, Liturgical Town, and solve the Evergaol puzzle to unlock the Miquella’s Haligtree Portal. Once your Tarnished adventures into Haligtree, they must navigate through the intricate branches of the canopy before they can reach Elphael. This area is teeming with tough foes, including the essential Field Boss 
Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree.
Loretta resembles the Tree Sentinel and other mounted bosses encountered throughout Elden Ring. However, in this fight, you won’t have the chance to summon Torrent, adding to the difficulty. Be sure to carefully evade Loretta’s attacks and stay clear of her spells from a distance, as she employs sorcery to conjure spectral swords and enhance her unique polearm.
A great strategy to defeat Loretta is to use jump attacks to break her poise, opening her up for devastating visceral attacks.
Once players arrive at the Roots of the Haligtree, they can confront Malenia in one of the most challenging boss encounters in Elden Ring. It’s advisable to tackle Malenia with co-op partners or prepare an upgraded Spirit Ash summon beforehand. Upon successfully defeating the Goddess of Rot, players can venture back to the Isolated Divine Tower.
How to Get to the Isolated Divine Tower
Return via the Sending Gate or Teleportation Trap
After defeating Malenia and securing her Great Rune, players can return to the Isolated Divine Tower via the Divine Bridge Sending Gate. It’s easy to get back to the Sending Gate by either revisiting Leyndell or using the teleportation trap at the Tower of Return. With the Site of Grace located just outside Malenia’s boss room, players can quickly reach either of these locations.
Interacting with the Great Rune will reset its effects, enabling you to apply its benefits right away. You can switch between the restored Great Rune effects whenever you choose, so you don’t have to keep Malenia’s active at all times. Once you reach the Isolated Divine Tower in Elden Ring, you won’t need to return, as the restored Great Runes can now be equipped from your inventory whenever you wish.
